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Hercules

Hercules, son of the Greek God, Zeus, is turned into a half-god, half-mortal by evil Hades, God of the Underworld, who plans to overthrow Zeus. Hercules is raised on Earth and retains his god-like strength, but when he discovers his immortal heritage Zeus tells him that to return to Mount Olympus he must become a true hero. Hercules becomes a famous hero with the help of his friend Pegasus and his personal trainer, Phil the satyr. Hercules battles monsters, Hades and the Titans, but it is his self-sacrifice to rescue his love Meg which makes him a true hero.

After Zeus fights and sends the Titans to the underworld, he becomes the ruler of Mount Olympus, home of all greek gods. Hades is sent to rule the underworld, but he makes plans to throw Zeus out of Mount Olympus with the Titans' help. The three Fates warn him that his plans would be endangered if Hercules, Zeus newborn child, is still around by the time he tries to take over Mount Olympus. Hades sends Pain and Panic to turn Hercules into a mortal and kill him, but they fail in their attempt and leave him on earth with his divine strength to be raised as a human. Hercules grows up but later learns he is the son of gods, and in order to return to Mt. Olympus he must turn into a "true hero". He is trained by Phil the satyr and becomes the most famous hero in ancient Greece after battling monsters of all kinds. He even saves Mt. Olympus from Hade's take-over, but he only becomes a god again after he offers to exchange his life in order to save Meg, his love, from Hades' underworld and shows that a true hero must have a strong heart and not only physical strength.

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...Hercules: The trials and tribulations
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One of the “best-known heroes” (History.com, 2012) of all time belongs to Greek mythology’s Hercules. Born into a powerful pantheon, he had already had enemies at his birth. Known, primarily, for his magnificent strength, Hercules is seen as the handsome hero, but he was also a tragic victim of the gods’ relentless battle over power; a pawn in an epic game. As the games of the gods are cruel and harsh, Hercules’ life as he knew it had been altered, sending him on odyssey that give us the great myths in literature today; giving us the epitome of the mythological hero.
Born to the great god, Zeus, and Alcmene, the granddaughter of another prominent figure in Greek mythology, Perseus (History.com, 2012), Hercules’ birth was not met approvingly by all on Mount Olympus. Zeus, being an “unfaithful husband” (Wilson, 2005), had gotten another one of his mistresses pregnant. His jealous, goddess wife, Hera, had intended to kill the child when it was small and sent serpents into Hercules’ crib. Hercules, being a demi-god, possessed unnatural strength and killed the snakes. Still, over the years, Hera’s trickery had not ceased. About the time Hercules was a young man, he had a wife and family of his own. Hera cast out her...

...the most famous demigod known most notably for his superhuman strength is Hercules, the Roman name for the Greek demigod Heracles. The superman-like figure is even more popular in mythology than certain gods and goddesses. Over time, artists and sculptors have attempted to depict Hercules through different types of material and physical poses. Although each depiction has its own individuality in the material by which it was created and the stance the demigod is holding, almost all seem to depict a similar man. Almost every depiction of Hercules appears to describe the same person: a massive man holding and resembling the features of a human but the strength and muscle definition of something greater and far mightier. The depiction of Hercules in an unknown sculptor’s Marble Statue of a Youthful Hercules, an unknown sculptor’s Marble Statue of a Bearded Hercules, and Francisco de Zurbaran’s painting Hercules and Cerberus 1634 all combine to show the same half-god through muscle definition and facial appearance.
The story of Hercules tells of a mortal boy born by Zeus, king of the gods, and Alcmene, a mortal woman. He walks and talks like a human while withholding the god-like power of strength. “Though he is a man, he is so far removed from the ordinary that the generic classification hardly contains him” (Eugene M Waith 1). In order to earn immortality and the...

...Adrianna Barnhart
Mrs. Browning
Blk. 6 English 10
9-19-12
The Story of Hercules
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Hercules, aka Herakles, was a buff god. He was the god of power. His father Zeus was the god of the skies, his mother a mortal, making Hercules a demigod. Alcmene, Hercules mother, wasn’t the wife of Zeus, Hera the goddess of earth was, and she was livid.
In fact, Hera was so livid she threatened the baby’s life by sending in to Hercules crib two serpents. According to the legend, the serpents were sent in to strangle the baby, but Hercules just sat up wrapped his baby hands around their necks strangling them. His failure to die in this scenario would affect him for years to come. (Carr, Karen PhD)
Hera was determined to make Hercules’ life hell for being born and killing her prized snakes, so when Hercules married and had two kids, she sought it a good time to make Hercules, literally, crazy. She summoned madness on him, causing him to lose his mind and kill his wife and children. When he came back to his normal state, he was upset to see his love along with his children lifeless in their home. He sent for Apollo to help him rid his woes. Apollo told him in order to liberate him from his sins, Hercules had to report to King Eurystheus and partake in 10 labors. Hercules, wanting be released from...

...HerculesHercules was known for his strength and courage. He completed legendary adventures which accredited for his heroic status. Son of Zeus and human Alcmene made him a demigod. Hercules suffered relentless rage from Hera for being the baby of her disloyal husband. As an infant Hera sent two serpents to his cradle, but Hercules astonishingly strangled the serpents. These undertakings and additional events would lead to Hercules being regarded as one of the more paramount gods in mythology.
There were many who claimed Zeus as their father, but there were none that were immortal. Hercules maintained immortality as a mishap during birth. Hercules' father was Zeus, but his immortality came from the milk of Hera he drank at birth.
Hercules's real mother however was Alcmene, the wife of King Amphitryon. Zeus, the king of the gods, disguised himself as Amphitryon and visited Alcmene when Amphitryon was off at war. Hera found out that Alcmena was pregnant with Zeus's child and became infuriated. Hera sent two serpents to kill Hercules while in his cradle. The serpents approached infant Hercules and as they went to execute him he stood up and strangled the serpents with his bare child hands. The failed attempt to kill Hercules made Hera even more livid. People that know of Hercules do not the true story of...

...
The Greek myth of the demi-god Heracles (more commonly known as his Roman equivalent ‘Hercules’) has survived through many different time periods and cultures and still remains a well known character in today’s society. Although the common tale has changed to be more accustomed to the modern 21st century society, the original myth endures.
Greek Demi- god Heracles
Heracles was the son of Alcmene a mortal that Zeus had become enamoured to; Zeus came to her one night in the form of her husband Amphitryon and lay with her, conceiving Hercules. Hera, Zeus’ lover was jealous as Zeus made an oath that Heracles would grow up to one day be King of all the lands he walked.
Hera eventually took her revenge on Hercules when she caused him into a fit of madness where he murdered his only sons, his wife Megara died of heartache upon hearing the news. In penance for this terrible deed, Heracles undertook to perform 12 labours under orders from Eurystheus; where on conclusion he would be granted immortality. The first labour was to kill the Nemean lion; the beast was invulnerable to weapons and continued to terrorize a mountainous district. Heracles wrestled the lion in its cave and eventually killed it with an olivewood cudgel, he then removed the pelt by using the beasts own claws. Heracles wore the lion skin as a cloak, which that and the wooden club became his trademarks that would represent the Hero for thousands of years to...

...The Hero Cycle of HerculesHercules is the most popular hero in all Greek mythology. However, the question that arises in one’s mind is what is so special about him? It could be that he is the son of the ruler of the Gods, Zeus. It could be the obvious repugnance of Hera, the god of marriage and Zeus’s wife. This is because he is the result of Zeus’s unfaithfulness to her. It also could be that despite Hercules not quite fitting the great Greek hero cycle, he is a hero nonetheless. The hero cycle is a customary path that a Greek hero should go on to be recognized as a true saviour. This path has nine milestones that a true hero passes. Three of the most important are going on a quest, a near death battle and getting a reward. This essay will explain how Hercules primarily goes through all these stages and proves to be an amazing hero.
It is in the beginning of the Hercules story that he does not follow the first elements of the hero cycle: Birth, Discovery of Destiny and Not Being Ready. In a usual hero myth, a hero is born to some form of royalty, but he does not know about his remarkable abilities or origin. Even though the king of the gods had fathered Hercules, he does not really fit this element. Because he had proved to be special since as mere baby, he had killed two huge snakes that Hera had sent to murder him (Creighton 96). Despite the story not following the first element...

...Literature 2
17 January 2012
Hercules: Movie Versus Myth
In Disney’s animated version of the classic mythology story, Hercules, they portray Hercules as a soft, klutzy, heroic superhuman. According to the classic Greek mythology story, Hercules saves peoples lives with his bravery and strength. Murder, tragedy, and bloody battles spread throughout the pages of Greek mythologies. It is obvious that the Disney version of the Hercules myth is not a correct one. Known for entertaining young movie-goers, Disney cannot provide a totally accurate portrayal of the real Hercules’s adventures, nor of Greek and Roman Mythology. Similarities and differences occur between the movie and the myth and takes place in the birth, life and death of Hercules.
One of the many errors in Disney’s Hercules is Hercules’s upbringing. In the Disney movie, Zeus and Hera, the parents of Hercules, reign as king and queen of the Gods. Disney portrays Hera as Hercules mother, however, this is not true. He becomes a demigod when Pain and Panic try to kill him with a potion but Hercules does not drink the final drop. Hercules grows up on Earth as a mortal with his mortal parents. In the mythology version, Hera, the wife of Zeus, hates Hercules, a result of Zeus sleeping with Amphitryon’s spouse, Alcmene. Born from a...

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In the animated film, Hercules, the viewer can watch the modern day twist on the legendary Greek hero Heracles (Hercules) as he advances through his heroic journey. Although the original myth slightly varies from the film, both sources carry strong and necessary elements that are needed for the completion of the hero's quest. Therefore the basic plot of the movie must be explained for us to discover the many hidden archetypes within.
Hercules' quest begins when he is challenged to find out whether his true identity is godly or ordinary. That’s when the departure stage of the story comes into effect. He visits Zeus’s temple and the statue of Zeus comes to life and speaks with him. Therefore, it comes as a shock when he finds out that he came straight from the god family tree. The acceptance, or initiation, of the challenge comes in the second stage. Hercules is initiated when he takes up training with his mentor Phil. He is crossing the threshold of his youth and gaining a more mature perspective towards the world and what it means to become a hero. Hercules is faced with many hardships as he comes up against numerous foes and monsters galore. This stands as the hero’s journey. This is also the time Hercules’ femme fatale is introduced. Meg starts out as a enemy, but after Hercules falls for her, she falls for him as we, and helps him in the end. Also, throughout this...